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Try getting into a conversation about taxes. What is your long term strategy for dealing with taxes? Do you have a one page plan that describes your concrete strategy or are you just drifting and waiting to get hammered?

How much are taxes going up? Most people think 3% or 4% or 5% on the top income brackets.

The move from 15% to 43.4% (2013) on non qualified dividend income is almost a 200% increase. What has your advisor done to protect you?

Your contact ratio is similar to mine. For the life of me, I can't figure out how people manage to get a 20% contact ratio with small biz. Anyway, impressive dialing numbers before lunch. I notched 150 before I sucked down a free wholesaler lunch. Shooting for 200 more before the end of the day...gotta leave early to pick up the kiddies today!

Tough day today 319 dials and 39 contacts and ZERO propsects!!! I called Ohio from 8-9, Texas and Illinois 9-10 Colorado 10-11 Then back to Ohio. The rudest people were in Colorado. Not sure why?

Contact rate was low and lots of businesses are now using automatic machines to answer takes time to go trough prompts! = Only 50% of the time do I get a person on the line. Lots of I am not interested Guess that is good disqualifyied themselves.

My question is should I try calling at 7am or 7:30. Lots of the business owners had not come in when I called.at 8-9. Gusess I am answering my own question. My brain is frioed now and my finger is turning raw from dialing.

Any suggestions are welcome. and appreciated.

iliketennis Thanks for the pick me up. i am an ex college football player and that really helped. Reminded me of how I yelled SEMPER FI to a mrine while running in a triathlon. You would have thought he was shot from a cannon after hearing me yell to him. He stayed at the finish line and thanmked me for the pick up as I thank you!!!

Tough day today 319 dials and 39 contacts and ZERO propsects!!! I called Ohio from 8-9, Texas and Illinois 9-10 Colorado 10-11 Then back to Ohio. The rudest people were in Colorado. Not sure why?

Contact rate was low and lots of businesses are now using automatic machines to answer takes time to go trough prompts! = Only 50% of the time do I get a person on the line. Lots of I am not interested Guess that is good disqualifyied themselves.

My question is should I try calling at 7am or 7:30. Lots of the business owners had not come in when I called.at 8-9. Gusess I am answering my own question. My brain is frioed now and my finger is turning raw from dialing.

Any suggestions are welcome. and appreciated.

iliketennis Thanks for the pick me up. i am an ex college football player and that really helped. Reminded me of how I yelled SEMPER FI to a mrine while running in a triathlon. You would have thought he was shot from a cannon after hearing me yell to him. He stayed at the finish line and thanmked me for the pick up as I thank you!!!

[/quote]

I wouldnt worry about hitting a little cold streak today with getting prospects. If your getting 40 contacts in a day your doing great.

Unfortunately, due to a family illness, I have not been able to get to the office yet this week. Thurs and Fri I am hoping I could get a half day of calling in, but we'll see.

My numbers this week will be pretty low...hoping I can be back full time next Monday.

Guys, a few things that will help. I know it will sound ridiculous BUT IT WORKS I promise you it will give you and edge.

Build a little station that will.

1) Allow you to stand up while cold calling.

2) Get a small mirror and look at your mouth while talking and force a smile be it real or fake.

3) Record your calls so you can hear what the mark is hearing. I can't believe how stupid I sounded at first. Holy smoke did this help out.

4) Record info about the call right when you hang up. The more info you record about the call the ten thousand times better you'll be on the next.

5) Write the personal note directly after recording the call info in your CRS. There is no way I could remember details after the calling session.

6) Use 50 minute periods with ten minutes to get a glass of water etc.

7) Organization skills will make a huge difference. I use ACT bur whatever you use ... USE IT every single call. Make your station as if it is an assembly line, the shortest distance from A to B is a straight line. Place things that require the least effort of movement. A simple change that will save you 10 seconds a call will be GIGANTIC after you have dialed 20 thousand numbers. 20,000 x 10 seconds = 3333 minutes = 55 hours, an entire week in production from a tiny efficiency.

I had a drunken epiphany and started the following thread. It was a huge turning point in my mental view that took me from scared and apologetic to a professional. The difference for me was profound.

I organize my calling station like this. It goes from left to right. Right is the computer. Between is all the tools I need. All the materials are always laid out. I neer have a reason to not cold call. When I leave at night, I turn off my computer monitor if I am calling the following morning. That way, I turn to calling first and log in AFTER calling. When calling mid and late day, I turn the computer OFF.

Cherry Hourglass to the left - once it is turned over - I'm calling for the full hour. It tis a visual cue for accountability for me and also serves to tell my assistant, collegues, BOM etc. to not interupt me.
Phone with headset. Right over the phone is the number of calls I want to make this year with a smaller figure of the number of calls I need to make a day.
Call lists in binders, broken out by campaign (Bond, 401k, Seminar, etc.)
Binder with scripts for each campaign
Ipod with speaker
Digital recorder
Box with three sections.
Ruler
Index cards
Pencil
Three segment box (desktop box to sort mail)
Highlighter

When I am doing calling session I run down the list and don't stop until done with the hour.

When I offer to send something, email, etc. I commit to send it ON FRIDAY

I highlight who I spoke to and make only one or two word notes

At the end of the session, I play back the recording and transcribe info - contact info, etc to index card making more detailed notes as needed.

All the index cards go into the first section of the box.

Fridays, I batch ALL the cards and set aside an hour or two for follow up.

I print all the reports, info that needs snail mail, address it and get that out and then I populate the distribution lists and contact system with contact info.

Then, the cards go to the second box holder. (the third is for business cards - which I card scan in every week, too)

When the second spot gets full, I file the index cards in big green index card boxes.

When I do call backs, I don't use the software or contact info on the computer. Instead - I use the index cards and tip them to the place I last calls.

I call from 10 cards before or after cold calling and just keep running through the boxes making follow up calls over time from the people I already contacted.

Each time I talk with somone make a call on an index card, I put the date on it and put them to the front of that section in the alphabet. At the end of the year, I purge any contact info of people I didn't talk to to a dead file box (note -don't throw them out - every once in a while someone will call you and you haven't talked to them in 2 years, but you can pull up their card and make notes.

I don't stand to make calls - but do use a boatload of energy. My focus the minute someone picks up a call is to try and match their energy and to quickly gain a connection using language, tempo and by matching. If they Bellow HELLO!!!! I bellow HELLO!!!!. If they whisper Oh, Hello, I whisper Oh, Hello, etc

Hope that helps.

By the way, I've made +/- 60,000 cold calls over my just over 3 years in production. My rolodex is now more than 10,000 strong (From the cold calls, networking and referral). My front burner prospect list is always kept at 50, but I keep raising the asset bar. (This is a Mullens concept that works very well)

My initial cold caling lists had 300,000 names both residential and business for a 50 mile radius from my office. Never think that you have called everyone, or that you can call too many people. I now also have one with the details for every k plan in my state and 4 surrounding states.

I organize my calling station like this. It goes from left to right. Right is the computer. Between is all the tools I need. All the materials are always laid out. I neer have a reason to not cold call. When I leave at night, I turn off my computer monitor if I am calling the following morning. That way, I turn to calling first and log in AFTER calling. When calling mid and late day, I turn the computer OFF.

Cherry Hourglass to the left - once it is turned over - I'm calling for the full hour. It tis a visual cue for accountability for me and also serves to tell my assistant, collegues, BOM etc. to not interupt me.
Phone with headset. Right over the phone is the number of calls I want to make this year with a smaller figure of the number of calls I need to make a day.
Call lists in binders, broken out by campaign (Bond, 401k, Seminar, etc.)
Binder with scripts for each campaign
Ipod with speaker
Digital recorder
Box with three sections.
Ruler
Index cards
Pencil
Three segment box (desktop box to sort mail)
Highlighter

When I am doing calling session I run down the list and don't stop until done with the hour.

When I offer to send something, email, etc. I commit to send it ON FRIDAY

I highlight who I spoke to and make only one or two word notes

At the end of the session, I play back the recording and transcribe info - contact info, etc to index card making more detailed notes as needed.

All the index cards go into the first section of the box.

Fridays, I batch ALL the cards and set aside an hour or two for follow up.

I print all the reports, info that needs snail mail, address it and get that out and then I populate the distribution lists and contact system with contact info.

Then, the cards go to the second box holder. (the third is for business cards - which I card scan in every week, too)

When the second spot gets full, I file the index cards in big green index card boxes.

When I do call backs, I don't use the software or contact info on the computer. Instead - I use the index cards and tip them to the place I last calls.

I call from 10 cards before or after cold calling and just keep running through the boxes making follow up calls over time from the people I already contacted.

Each time I talk with somone make a call on an index card, I put the date on it and put them to the front of that section in the alphabet. At the end of the year, I purge any contact info of people I didn't talk to to a dead file box (note -don't throw them out - every once in a while someone will call you and you haven't talked to them in 2 years, but you can pull up their card and make notes.

I don't stand to make calls - but do use a boatload of energy. My focus the minute someone picks up a call is to try and match their energy and to quickly gain a connection using language, tempo and by matching. If they Bellow HELLO!!!! I bellow HELLO!!!!. If they whisper Oh, Hello, I whisper Oh, Hello, etc

Hope that helps.

By the way, I've made +/- 60,000 cold calls over my just over 3 years in production. My rolodex is now more than 10,000 strong (From the cold calls, networking and referral). My front burner prospect list is always kept at 50, but I keep raising the asset bar. (This is a Mullens concept that works very well)

My initial cold caling lists had 300,000 names both residential and business for a 50 mile radius from my office. Never think that you have called everyone, or that you can call too many people. I now also have one with the details for every k plan in my state and 4 surrounding states. [/quote]

LOL as usual I feel like a piker when I read your posts. You're one awesome braud. How's the new gig working out? I'm on the edge of ending my days paying a bank for their substandard support and going to a true brokers brokerage. The same folks that blew up WB feel a .57 beta is to risky (does not include sticky bank products). GOD knows I can't wait. Finished out year 3 with $377k & hope to do $500k in year 4. ALL FROM COLD CALLING GUYS, every client I have is a 110% direct result of cold calling.

I organize my calling station like this. It goes from left to right. Right is the computer. Between is all the tools I need. All the materials are always laid out. I neer have a reason to not cold call. When I leave at night, I turn off my computer monitor if I am calling the following morning. That way, I turn to calling first and log in AFTER calling. When calling mid and late day, I turn the computer OFF.

Cherry Hourglass to the left - once it is turned over - I'm calling for the full hour. It tis a visual cue for accountability for me and also serves to tell my assistant, collegues, BOM etc. to not interupt me.
Phone with headset. Right over the phone is the number of calls I want to make this year with a smaller figure of the number of calls I need to make a day.
Call lists in binders, broken out by campaign (Bond, 401k, Seminar, etc.)
Binder with scripts for each campaign
Ipod with speaker
Digital recorder
Box with three sections.
Ruler
Index cards
Pencil
Three segment box (desktop box to sort mail)
Highlighter

When I am doing calling session I run down the list and don't stop until done with the hour.

When I offer to send something, email, etc. I commit to send it ON FRIDAY

I highlight who I spoke to and make only one or two word notes

At the end of the session, I play back the recording and transcribe info - contact info, etc to index card making more detailed notes as needed.

All the index cards go into the first section of the box.

Fridays, I batch ALL the cards and set aside an hour or two for follow up.

I print all the reports, info that needs snail mail, address it and get that out and then I populate the distribution lists and contact system with contact info.

Then, the cards go to the second box holder. (the third is for business cards - which I card scan in every week, too)

When the second spot gets full, I file the index cards in big green index card boxes.

When I do call backs, I don't use the software or contact info on the computer. Instead - I use the index cards and tip them to the place I last calls.

I call from 10 cards before or after cold calling and just keep running through the boxes making follow up calls over time from the people I already contacted.

Each time I talk with somone make a call on an index card, I put the date on it and put them to the front of that section in the alphabet. At the end of the year, I purge any contact info of people I didn't talk to to a dead file box (note -don't throw them out - every once in a while someone will call you and you haven't talked to them in 2 years, but you can pull up their card and make notes.

I don't stand to make calls - but do use a boatload of energy. My focus the minute someone picks up a call is to try and match their energy and to quickly gain a connection using language, tempo and by matching. If they Bellow HELLO!!!! I bellow HELLO!!!!. If they whisper Oh, Hello, I whisper Oh, Hello, etc

Hope that helps.

By the way, I've made +/- 60,000 cold calls over my just over 3 years in production. My rolodex is now more than 10,000 strong (From the cold calls, networking and referral). My front burner prospect list is always kept at 50, but I keep raising the asset bar. (This is a Mullens concept that works very well)

My initial cold caling lists had 300,000 names both residential and business for a 50 mile radius from my office. Never think that you have called everyone, or that you can call too many people. I now also have one with the details for every k plan in my state and 4 surrounding states. [/quote]

LOL as usual I feel like a piker when I read your posts. You're one awesome braud. How's the new gig working out? I'm on the edge of ending my days paying a bank for their substandard support and going to a true brokers brokerage. The same folks that blew up WB feel a .57 beta is to risky (does not include sticky bank products). GOD knows I can't wait. Finished out year 3 with $377k & hope to do $500k in year 4. ALL FROM COLD CALLING GUYS, every client I have is a 110% direct result of cold calling.

[/quote]

Aw Gaddock.

YOU? A piker? Never.

EIther there is none of the same baloney with the new shop, or my bullshit meter is more refined and I am better at running past it.

Culture s far better and internal customer services is terrific. 15 months and it;s good. Feel strong. Moved book, settled in, fired what I wanted to refine out of the book and moved forward.

Moved a lot of plans early in the year, and hope to kiss 500k this year - will see. PM me for insight on what I'm doing with the k plans that might interest you.

Have been keeping my head DOWN (as you may have noticed by lack of activity on the boards here) . Almost all new business is still developed cold calling, though referrals are reliable source of new business at this point. Picking up a fair amount internal to the k plans when in doing service meetings, too Yet, when that K plan came on because of a cold call, I call that a cold call client.

Takingnames- What did you use to disqualify the DNC numbers out of that 300,000?

[/quote]

It's a Sales Genie list. Used to work in IT. Subscribed to DNC list and wrote code to parse list and check it. When calling, I call through Gryphon. Keeps DNC hits to a minimum. Sheer volume of calls will get you past DNC problems. So will using two phones. When I use two phones, I dial with one on speaker one on headset. Extremely rare that people answer on both lines when using two phones. People in office at old firm thought I was nuts. So nuts that I survived and thrived, thankyouverymuch.